Thursday, January 17, 2008

Infusing flavor

I finally got around to making my favorite flavor, Mint Chocolate Chip. I found a recipe in this great ice cream cookbook, A Passion for Ice Cream,which is filled with amazing ice cream recipes that are all also paired with desserts. Since I am on an ice cream mission I left out the dessert aspect of this recipe which was fudge cookies but I am sure I'll get around to those later. Actually, the image on the cover of this book is this recipe. (I know its not green but she prefers to let the flavor speak for itself..I had to add the green to mine).

So onto the infusing part. Infuse: to steep in liquid without boiling so as to extract the soluble constituents or principles...and this is what I did. Instead of using Mint extract the recipe called for using actual mint leavesand cooking them with my cream/sugar mixture. Once heated through and before adding this to the egg mixture I strained the liquid to omit the leaves and, voila, pure mint flavoring. I was a little skeptical when straining as my leaves were brown, wilted, and not so pretty but I guess that is what happens when you cook leaves. So after finalizing the whole process, refrigerating the base overnight and then freezing, the verdict is out...definitely good mint flavor but somewhat unique. I am curious to see what others think. My husband thought it was definitely mint but tasted like leaves! So I just did a second taste test to be able to really describe it and the only additional thing I could say is that is has an herb like taste...but after the initial bite all I taste is yummy Mint Chocolate Chip. I think this could become my signature flavor..its my favorite but with a twist.

And the cute cow bowls..my girlfriend recently went to the Ben & Jerry's plantand brought me back these fun cow dishes...love em.